Marthus, a Victubia fanfic
by TheGreatColossus
Summary: Marthus. Is he man, or worse, god? Most pressing of all, is he loyal? A fanfic featuring my OC character Marthus. I aim to give him more of a backstory, as he is a little bit of a mystery in the Victubian world. Will feature a lot of prominent characters in Victubia, and possibly some OCs. Rated T for later...
1. Prologue

_Once, there was a village. It had few inhabitants, and they were isolated. The village was in the Knota Mountains, higher up than any had explored, apart from the villagers. They worshipped a god, grazed their cattle, farmed small crops, and went on with their lives. One day, their god took interest in them, specifically in an unborn child. The god marked the child, then went about it's business, and life appeared to go on as normal._

 **A Few Months Later**

The boy was born, healthy and strong. His parents named him Marthus, but he had no last name. From his moment of birth, he began to yell, or gurgle, or communicate in some way. His parents nurtured this, and within the next year, he was able to talk coherently, albeit in a simple way. Not many children had begun talking this early, so his parents treasured him. As he grew older, he began to tinker with his toys, dissembling and reassembling them to his content.

One day, while playing with his toys, Marthus threw his toy into the air, but it stayed there, suspended, rotating slowly, before falling back to the ground. His parents were surprised, and a little worried. They knew of magi, had seen them and some had come from their village, but they knew enough that he should not have powers this early in his life. They took Marthus to the village's wise man, who told them that he had been touched by their god, and that he would be a remarkable child. He told them they should not worry, and that no harm would come to the child while he was under the god's protection.

As time went on, Marthus began to exhibit other powers, lighting fires, shocking his parents with electricity, and shaking the earth, among others. His parents, heeding the wise man's advice, simply put up with the magic, which seemed to be growing in power every day. As the boy grew older, he began to experiment with combinations of his magic and his tinkering. He created a small creature out of old farming tools and some rags, which he brought to life. He adopted it as a pet, and so his parents had to put up with another, albeit small, member of the house.

 **Eight Years Later**

Marthus' parents weren't sure how to manage him. His powers seemed to be growing by the minute, and it was only a matter of time before he hurt someone. They decided they would send him off to the Victubia Mages Academy, where he could learn to master his powers and use them for good. Marthus reluctantly agreed that it was for the best, and said his goodbyes to the village, promising to return. On his way down the mountain, he met a sage, who took him in and offered to train him instead of having him go all the way to Victubia, a treacherous journey through the mountains and across the countryside.

The mage was old and powerful, one of the most knowledgeable people in the field of magic, outside the VMA, and also a good sword fighter. He offered to teach Marthus in exchange for his help in running the sage's monastery, which had been abandoned long ago. It needed constant upkeep, but the old sage was kind, and taught Marthus the ways of magic and the blade.

Soon, the student was equal to the master, able to use multiple elements, but not with much power. There seemed to be a wall between Marthus and his whole potential, which meant he could still only do small things, such as lighting campfires, bending metal for his tinkering or swords, and moving small objects through the air. Meanwhile, his studies of the sword continued, with great results. He built himself a pair of eyeglasses after realizing that his vision was flawed, and also forged his own sword, with the help of the sage.

Soon, the day came when the young man decided he would return to the village. He had stayed in the mountains the whole time, so his parents might be disappointed, but he knew many things, including having better control of his powers. He began his journey to the top of the mountain, only to find ash and death where his village had once been. Only the shrine of the colossal god was left standing, amongst all the destruction. Marthus walked through the ruins of his home, and knelt at the shrine. He prayed for the god to smite the murderers who had killed his family, and his prayers were answered.

The wall between Marthus and his magical potential fell away, suffusing him with power. He felt the god's mind, colossal and infinite, merge with his own. Gilded armor formed around him, and his sword glowed with energy. He realized now that he was not Marthus anymore, he _was_ the Colossus. He vowed to avenge his family, and began to hunt for their killers. The sage on the mountain saw a great light from the village, and knew what had happened. His student was now the master.

Not far away, a camp of bandits joked and laughed around a campfire, dividing up the poor spoils of their most recent raid. Then, the campfire went out. Thunder cracked, and lightning obliterated the middle of the campsite. A golden glow suffused the landscape, and a figure floated down. It was dressed in golden armor, shimmering with an inner light, carrying a sword of pure light. Marthus stood, looking down on the bandits, and realized that although they had killed his family, they were not deserving of death themselves. They simply were trying to live, but were doing it in a way that hurt others. He decided he would try to make them change their ways, and brought them with him to Victubia, only stopping to build a small memorial at his village to the lives they had claimed.

Arriving in Victubia, his powers were suddenly lost. He still had his sword, and the bandits were there, but they were freed from his power. They still had their weapons, and one thing ran through their mind: punish this boy. They all charged as one, only to be driven back by his onslaught of blows. He slew seven of them, injured two, and let the last one go. That was how the Lord PewDiePie found him. Sitting in the night, his sword in front of him, weeping, with the bodies of his family's killers all around him. He was no longer the Colossus, he was Marthus, and he had failed.


	2. Chapter 1

_A blue coat. A pink dress. Worried voices. A coach. Food. A bed. Worried faces overhead. "Who is he?" "Where did he come from?" "What do we do with the sword?" "How did he get there?" "What is he?"_

Marthus awoke. He was in a bed. Sunlight, golden as his armor, was drifting in through the window. Wait, his armor? What had happened? He remembered the surge of power, the capture of the bandits, but then what? At least someone had found him. He needed to find out where he was. Where were the people?

"Sir, Lord Pewdiepie sent me to check on you. Are you feeling alright?"

"I think so, who are you?"

"I am Mister Chair, the Lord's butler. Do you remember anything? You seem quite young to be in the situation you were in."

"Um, I remember a sword. And my village. And not much beyond that. Only feelings and sensations."

"Well, if you are feeling well enough to walk, I will escort you to the Lord and Lady. They are most interested in you, boy."

 _I am no boy, I am a man,_ thought Marthus. But he decided to comply nonetheless. Until he could get out and find out what happened to the bandits, he would talk with this Lord Pewdiepie. The butler, Mister Chair, took him out of his room. The hallway outside seemed undecorated, as if the Lord had just moved in. He walked down an elegant stairway, following Mister Chair.

"In here. The Lord and Lady are waiting for you. If you are hungry, I could serve some food," said Mister Chair.

Marthus opened the door, and walked into the room. It was furnished very well, with a fireplace and a bookshelf. Three chairs sat in the middle of the room, two on one side of the table placed between, and the other with it's back to him. The two were occupied by a man in a blue coat, and a woman in a pink dress. Marthus walked over and sat down.

"Hello, um… What is your name?" said the man.

"My name is Marthus."

"Ooh, that's a nice name! I am Marzia and this is Pewdiepie, also known as Felix." said the woman.

"Nice to meet you. How did I get here?" said Marthus, cutting straight to the point.

"Well, um, you tell it Pewdie." said Lady Marzia.

"We found you on the street, crying, sitting with your sword and surrounded by dead men. Did you kill them?" asked Lord Pewdiepie.

"Yes, they were bandits, they had killed my family and burned my village."

Over the next few minutes, Marthus told it all from the beginning, how he had been blessed by his village's god, and how he had learned to control his power from the sage. He told how he had come to his village and found it destroyed, and how he had _become_ the god and brought the culprits to Victubia, where he lost his power and was forced to kill them. Lord Pewdiepie revealed that he was a supernatural investigator, and had been drawn to his power, and that was how they had found him.

"Well, that was quite a story. We can let you stay for a few days, but we should send you to the VMA if you have magical powers." said Marzia.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality. I haven't eaten since two days ago, is there any chance of breakfast?" asked Marthus.

"Oh yes. MISTER CHAIR! We need breakfast for three, please." said Pewdiepie.

"Right away sir." replied the butler.

Turning back to Marthus, Pewdiepie asked "Can you show us some of your sword work, or tinkering, while we wait?"

"Sure. Do you still have my sword?" asked Marthus.

"Of course, it's fine craftsmanship. I would never get rid of it." replied Pewdiepie.

"Oooh, this will be so fun!" said Marzia.

Marthus smiled. "Just make sure you stay back." He began to spin the sword in arcs and twisted it around him in intricate patterns. Using one hand to keep it going, he reached out and plucked a piece of fruit off of the mantelpiece. He threw it up, and sliced it into three parts, which landed directly on the table in front of Marzia and Pewds.

"Oh wow! That was amazing!" exclaimed Marzia.

"It was certainly very impressive. Your breakfast has arrived." said Mister Chair as he walked into the room.

Over the next few days, Marthus tinkered a little with various mechanical items the Lord had collected, producing new gadgets, and improving old ones. He also kept up his magic practice, using up to three elements at a time. At one point, Pewdiepie walked in on one of his practices.

"Wait, are you using three elements?" the Lord asked.

"Yup. Been able to all my life. Why, is it unusual?" Marthus replied.

"It's just that the most elements anyone had ever had control over was two. This is impossible!" said Pewds.

"Well, I'll certainly stump the VMA magi!" laughed Marthus. He had been getting more social, as the wounds of his family's death healed. He pushed his eyeglasses up his nose, and concentrated. Fire from a nearby candle shot over and formed into a ring, which then heated up to almost white hot. Water from a jug and one of Marzia's sewing needles joined the dance.

"Watch this." Marthus said to Pewds.

The water joined the fire, twisting around each other, but somehow not affecting each other at all. Marthus then tightened the ring to an almost invisible hole. Then, still holding the ring up, he levitated the metal needle, then passed it through the ring slowly. He then handed it to Pewds. It was completely unaffected, as if the fire and the water simply never touched it or were close.

"It's completely normal! Shouldn't it be hot, or wet or something?"

"Nope, that's true control. I can only do small magic though, when I'm not part of the god."

"That must be an amazing feeling, fusing with such a being." said Pewdiepie.

"It's like having all the power in the world in your body. It's kind of scary though. You lose who you are, and the god takes over."

"Well, tomorrow you should head to the VMA. They'll see what you're capable of, maybe help you break down that barrier." said Pewds.

Marthus slept, content that he had friends in this world. Tomorrow he would see what he was truly capable of, and maybe meet some other friends. His world was piecing itself back together, but it was still fragile. Hopefully nothing would break it apart.

 _This one was a bit short, but I wanted to cut it off before the VMA chapter(s) I'll start working on that soon. Please review and tell me if there's anything I should change. New chapters coming soon! Follow my tumblr for updates: blog/divine-colossus._


	3. Chapter 2

_And heeeeeere's the third chapter of Marthus! Expect a longer period in between updates from this chapter onwards, because school. Sucks, but I'll try to continue updating as often as possible. Enjoy!_

Marthus awoke. Today was the day he would go to the VMA and figure out his true potential. He got up, put on his finest clothing (the Lord and Lady had provided him with some more elegant clothing, for such occasions as this) and picked up his sword from where he had left it on the dresser. He also grabbed his pouch of coins. It wasn't much, but it was all gold from the sage's monastery. Although the sage had no need for money, he cautioned against greed, but gave Marthus a pouch of gold to help him on his journey. That was before the village.

Marthus walked downstairs a few minutes later, freshly bathed and clothed, with his sword at his belt. He walked into the sparely furnished dining room, where he sat down and waited for the Lord and Lady to join him. He looked around and decided that the couple was definitely new in town, judging from the lack of pictures on the walls, or many furnishings whatsoever. They must have arrived a few days before he had.

"Good morning! How are you feeling?" said Lord Pewds, walking into the room.

"I'm feeling great! I'm quite excited for today, but I'm a bit nervous. What if I do something really wrong?"

"Nah, you'll be fine. If anything, they'll be really impressed." replied Pewds, sitting down at the table.

"Where's Marzia?" asked Marthus.

"She's gone out shopping, she'll be back soon."

"Okay, tell her I said goodbye. No offense to you guys, I'm probably gonna stay somewhere else." said Marthus.

"Oh, well, if you are, you'll need something to pay the landlord with!" laughed Pewds, dropping a large bag of coins on the table.

"I couldn't. I already have some money."

"Marzia wants you to have it. Her store is _really_ popular, and we don't really have a use for the money."

"Well, thank you. I'll be on my way." said Marthus.

"Goodbye! Also, take this. You might like this guy." said Pewds, handing Marthus a card.

 _That was very kind of the Lord and Lady,_ Marthus thought as he walked out the door. _I gotta pay them back somehow. For now, to the Mages Academy!_ He walked down the steps to the street, then realized he didn't really know where he was going, _Well, I can just ask someone._ He continued walking. While he walked, he looked at the card. It said: Jackson Luther, Tinkerer and Mechanic. Open 6-11 Weekdays, closed Weekends. _Hmm, this guy seems interesting, maybe I'll go see him when I'm finished with the VMA._ After quite a few helpful citizens, Marthus finally found his way to the Academy.

"Hello! Fine sir! Yes, you there!" a man said to Marthus.

"What do you want?" asked Marthus.

"Well, to see if you are here for the Mages Academy of course!" replied the man.

"I am, is there anywhere in particular I should go?"

"Straight through these doors, you'll get more information inside." replied the man.

As Marthus walked through the main entrance to the Academy, he saw many young mages using their powers all over the place. A Water mage was splashing her friend with water from the cup she was drinking out of. A Wind mage floated down the hall, apparently standing on air. An Earth student was making a small clay man, which they began to walk as if on strings.

 _This is it. This is where I find out if I really am a master of magic,_ thought Marthus. An older woman bumped into, and directed him to the right place. _This time, I'll give it my all, no parlor tricks,_ he thought as the doors swung open. _This time, I will prove I can protect people._

The doors swung open, and a room was revealed. A woman sat at a table, shuffling papers around, likely waiting for the next candidate. She looked up, then looked back down at the papers. She pulled a few sheets out, and placed them in a second pile. Marthus simply sat down on the floor and waited. He noticed a few pots, filled with different material. One had a burning fire inside, one was simply full of water. One had nothing, but was made of a different metal than the others. One was full of rocks and dirt. He realized these must be the materials he would draw on for the exercise.

"Why are you here, boy?" asked the woman at the table.

"Don't I get examined for entrance to the Academy here?"

"Well, I guess so. Do you have any kind of recommendation from any other magi?" asked the woman.

"I trained for five years with the Sage of the Mountain. Other than that, no recommendations."

The woman let out a snort. "Well, I suppose I could see how you do."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Well, you do know what kind of mage you are, right dearie?"

"Yes." Marthus raised his hands.

"Then begin with small things."

Marthus concentrated. In the past few days, he had gained control of a fourth element, so he could now use four at a time. The metal pot fell to pieces, one of which slithered over like a snake. He took some fire, and put it in the eyes. Then he noticed that the woman was staring.

"Have you never seen anyone use two elements?"

"N-no. I'll call in a more advanced examiner." stammered the woman.

She ducked out, while Marthus continued to manipulate the snake. A moment later, the woman returned, bringing a woman with a metal arm along with her. They sat down at the table, the first woman chattering excitedly.

"I am Silvia, the principal of this Academy. I am very intrigued by your magical skill." said the metal armed woman.

"Do you wish me to continue?" asked Marthus.

"Yes. Please do." said Silvia.

The snake bobbed and wove around the floor, before disintegrating. Water flew from one pot nearby, and held in a sphere in midair. Bubbles slowly began to form in the middle. The metal from the snake became a ring with fire in the center, and Marthus pushed it slowly through the sphere of water. On the other side, the fire was untouched.

"Um, maybe we should go outside…" said the first woman.

"Probably wise." replied Marthus.

He was led by the metal-armed woman into an area with a tree, a small pond, and a metal basin. She motioned for him to make ready again. He decided he would try something a little bigger this time. The basin fell to pieces, and flowed across the ground to him. He pictured the shape that he wanted, and it formed into a shimmering sword. He tossed it into the air, just for show, and ignited the blade. He caught it in one hand, while already concentrating on the tree. Its roots accelerated their growth, before long a second, smaller tree stood beside the first.

Marthus was beginning to sweat, and could feel his limit approaching. Suddenly, a section of the second tree simply cut off, sliced by a blade of water so thin it was almost impossible to see. The wood continued to mold itself into a shield shape. Marthus picked it up, and then stood before the examiners in completion.

No one moved. Then, suddenly, Marthus felt the Colossus' mind extend to him. He let them merge, and the armor appeared, seemingly out of light and air. The sword gained a glowing sheen, and the shield became the face of a gilded owl. He laid down his armaments, raised his hands, and shouted. The ground beneath the water began to rise up, forming a hill, then a spike of rock in the middle of the pond. He floated up to the top, and spun clouds in a ring around it. The weather above the city was beginning to be affected. It began to spin like a hurricane, and suddenly the rain poured down. Lightning cracked, and one strike earthed itself directly in front of the examination table.

"By god…" said Silvia.

Just as abruptly, the rain stopped, the lightning ceased, and Marthus stood on the spire of rock. It began to sink back into the soggy bed of the pond, and Marthus swayed, then toppled into the water. He had met his limit, and it had broken before him, suffusing him with power. And then, the god had left, and the wall between him and his magic reappeared, crushing him down. _Why does it torture me like this?_ pondered Marthus, before passing into oblivion.

 _ **He has much power.**_

 _ **Yes. But it is held back.**_

 _ **He wields great control over what of it he can use.**_

 _ **No matter. He cannot stop us.**_

 _ **But that entity…**_

 _ **Are you worrying? I will put your worries to rest. Raz will deal with him.**_

 _ **Good. Then the work may continue.**_

 _ **Yes. It will all burn. All of Victubia will burn.**_

 _BUM BUM BUMMMMMMM! Stay tuned for more updates!_


	4. Chapter 3

_Hey! Fourth chapter! Don't worry, I actually am building up to something. Something… colossal. Enjoy!_

 _Flashes of green light. The woman with the metal arm. Lord Pewdiepie and Lady Marzia. And the emptiness where the god should have been._ _The sage. His parents. The burning village._

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" screamed Marthus.

"Shhhh, it's okay. You're in a hospital. You passed out during the examination." said his mother. Wait. No. His mother was dead. This was Marzia. He sat up, looking around. He was indeed, in a hospital, but no one was in the room, apart from Marzia. There were no windows, and no doors. Suddenly, the room began to darken. Shadows appeared in the corner, although there were no lights in the first place. A man in a helmet began to come out of a large shadow on the floor.

"Marzia! Run! There's a man coming for you!" yelled Marthus.

"No. It's okay Marthus. Everything will be right at lasssssst." Marzia trailed off strangely, and then she crumbled into dust.

"MARZIA!"

The man continued to advance on Marthus. Marthus tried to get out of the bed, but he was held down by shadowy tendrils. _Shit!_ He continued to struggle, then decided it was futile. He withdrew into his head, and concentrated.

 _Take yourself to solitude. Let no emotion enter your mind. This is true control._ Marthus remembered the words of the sage. Suddenly, light bloomed from his eyes. He felt like he was balanced on a razor edge. On one side, he would lose all control, and his powers would consume him. On the other, he would lose the strength to do what he had to. He pictured what he wanted, and it happened. His arms shifted, and became immaterial. He knew this place was not real, and so he could wrest control of it from the man in the helmet.

The room shifted, and grew larger. It was simply white, and the shadows were gone, except for a patch at the man's feet. Marthus began to grow, his armor coming into existence. He felt as tall as a mountain, and in a way, he was. His real body was still in the middle of the armor somewhere, but the armor had formed a sort of giant shell. He moved his arm, and picked up the man. He attempted to slice Marthus with shadowy blades, but Marthus simply moved his other hand, and the shadows were drawn away.

 **Who sent you?**

"I will not say." replied the man.

 **Then you will soon be dying. You will not threaten anyone else. I will seal you in this realm, and you will not survive.**

"You can try."

 **I can do. This is your last chance.**

"No. I would rather be trapped than divulge that information."

 **So be it.**

Marthus shrank down, but the man didn't try to fight. He walked back over to the bed, lay down, and went back to sleep. When he woke, he was in the hospital, a real one this time. A concerned nurse was standing over him.

"Are you alright sir? I came in when you started shouting and mumbling."

"Yes, I'm fine, can I see someone from the VMA?" Marthus asked.

"Sure, I'll bring them right in. They've been waiting for you to get better." the nurse replied.

The door was opened, and Silvia and a few other magi stepped in. They walked over to Marthus, and seemed to be waiting for him to say something. One of the older male magi cleared his throat extremely noisily, then began.

"Well… Marthus. We're very impressed with what you did yesterday." He looked to his colleagues for approval. Silvia gave a slight nod.

"We were wondering if you would like to come to the VMA, completely free of any enrollment fees or taxes."

Marthus was elated. _This is what I've always wanted! But what about that shadowy man? I have to investigate that more, and school could take away from time that could be spent on that. You know what? I'll take it._ He got out of bed, walked over to the man and said:

"I'll do it. As long as I can have a few hours to myself every day."

"Of course! Of course!" the man said, shaking Marthus' hand.

The magi led him out of the room, to a waiting coach. Marthus blinked in the sudden sunlight. He had just gotten his life's dream! So why then was he feeling like he had made the wrong choice? He shrugged, and climbed into the coach. A few meters away, in an alley entrance, a helmeted man watched the coach drive away towards the Academy.

"There is an extra piece in play. We need the talisman, but this man could obstruct us, especially if he takes an interest in me."

 _ **Deal with him. Do not fail this time.**_

The man nodded, then walked straight into a shadow covered wall, and disappeared.

 _Sorry it's pretty short, I just mainly wanted to show the full avatar form. Next chapter will be longer. If you haven't figured it out, this is set parallel to the events of Mod Days, j-razilla's fanfic. I recommend checking that out for context in the next few chapters. I'll hopefully have another update soon!_


	5. Chapter 4

_Number four! This one will be longer, I promise. Enjoy!_

Marthus walked down the street out of the hospital. There was a pleasant breeze blowing, and luckily, there wasn't any rain on the horizon. _I'll just walk around and see if I can find a place to stay. They didn't offer me a place in the dorms. Maybe I should go see that Jackson guy._ Marthus pulled out the card, looked for an address, then realized he didn't know the layout of the city.

"Um, sir? Could you direct me to 211 Queen Lane?" Marthus asked the man standing outside the entrance to the Academy.

"Ahhh, looking for Jackson? Well, you go right here, left there, 2 blocks down…" the man continued, and Marthus did his best to remember.

A few minutes later, he stood in front of a small, nondescript building. He walked up, and rang the doorbell. Suddenly, accompanied by the sound of shifting machinery, the door swung open. Marthus stepped in cautiously. The front room was small, and dusty. There were lamps on the walls, and shelves full of trinkets. On closer inspection, many of them appeared to be little machines, for various different purposes. Marthus saw one that looked to be a sort of automated grindstone, and another that looked like it was supposed to write.

"Are you here to have something fixed?"

Marthus spun around. A young man, maybe a year or two younger than him, stood in the doorway at the back of the room. He wore a grubby work jacket, gloves spotted with grease, and a pair of goggles were on his forehead. He was dark skinned, and had a very short haircut. His pants were torn and had some holes in them. He was holding an oil can, and had an intricate piece of machinery in the other hand.

"Um, not really. I had just been told to come here by a friend. He told me you liked to tinker, right?"

"Yeah, I'm a mechanic. Widely assumed to be the best in town that's open for hire. My name's Jackson Luther. And you are…?"

"Marthus. I'm going to be studying at the VMA." He was about to hold out his hand to shake, then thought better of it.

"Well, anything I can help you with?" Jackson asked.

"Do you know any good places to stay around here?"

"You mean like an inn or a hostel? Not really in this area. I have an extra room upstairs though. I'd be happy to rent it out to you, and you can do whatever you want with it. It's just extra storage right now, but I can fix it up."

"I'll take a look, the VMA didn't offer me any kind of lodgings, so I took it upon myself."

"Well, I'll leave you to it. I've gotta get this mechanical dragonfly working by this evening."

Marthus walked up the creaking stairs to the room. It was kind of dusty, and filled with boxes of parts. _Wow, he wasn't kidding when he said it was extra storage._ The room was filled wall to wall with boxes, with a small space for a bed in the corner. With the boxes removed, it would actually be pretty spacious. He headed back downstairs.

"I'll take it, no inn will let me customize my room!" Marthus laughed.

"I'd be happy to have you here. You any good with tools?" Jackson asked.

"Oh, I'm a tinkerer myself! Maybe I can help with some of your work, do some business of my own. I have some free time everyday."

"Great! I look forward to it!" Jackson clapped his hands, "Now, I do have to get back to work. You can move the boxes into the basement, I've got space down there."

"Do you mind if I keep a few for some projects of my own?"

"My shop is your shop. Go crazy." Jackson said.

"Great, thanks a lot!"

Half an hour later, the room was cleared out and Marthus had found an old dresser in the basement, which he moved upstairs with magic. After a few minutes of organization, unpacking and cleaning, the room looked a lot better, and felt very homely. Simply out of boredom, Marthus pulled out his sword and began to sharpen it using a combination of a whetstone and water and metal magic. He had found that the water could be thinned out to the point where it could shave off metal in almost transparent quantities.

"Hey, you wanna come help me work on something? It's bigger than what I usually work on, so I need some extra assistance." Jackson had come upstairs without Marthus even noticing.

"Sure, I'd be happy to!" Marthus followed Jackson to the door and began walking down the stairs, "What is it you had in mind?"

"Well, I'm working on building a leg brace for one of the more elderly members of the upper class here in Victubia, so it has to be fully moveable and able to be taken off easily."

"I'd be happy to help! Seems like an interesting project."

Down in the back room, the shelves were even more intriguing than in the front. There was what appeared to be a regular cane hanging from two hooks, but Marthus could see it had no less than 4 buttons disguised in the handle. It was finished with silver on the tip, and around the handle.

"Ah, you like the cane? I designed it for a man who liked to be stylish and be able to defend himself. Watch."

Jackson picked up the cane, and pressed the first button. The silver on the tip clamped together to form a viciously sharp spike. He pressed the second button, and the tip of the cane flew off, thudding into the wall, splintering the wood in the middle of a target. He then pulled on the long end of the cane, revealing a sword, which he sliced around a little bit, cutting the top off a small piece of wood lying on the worktable. Lastly, he twisted the handle off, and threw it into the front room, where it created a thick cloud of smelly smoke.

"Wow. Can I buy one of those?"

"Nope, it's one of a kind. I can put it back together quite fast, and the handle has replacements. There's an incendiary one, and one that simply explodes." Jackson replied.

"It's genius! How many things like that do you have in here?!"

"Many. And more in a secret compartment in the basement. This dusty old house has a lot more secrets than you give it credit for."

 _You could say that again,_ thought Marthus as he continued peering at the shelves. One held a small stick of wood with a few gems inlaid that glowed softly in the lamplight. In a back corner, the metal framework of a man stood with gears meshed together throughout his body. A small glass globe held a spark of electricity that raced around a ring of wire, over and over again. The back room was full of wonders, many that Marthus would probably never investigate.

In a back cabinet, in a drawer, a talisman glowed. Suddenly, it flashed, and disappeared.

 _This one was a bit longer! How'd you like it? I will be doing more with the Mod Days storyline, so go check out j-razilla! I'll try and churn out some of the next chapter before I head off on a trip next week. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 5

_Wooo! Chapter five! I'm not actually sure how long this will go on, probably till the end of the current Mod Days storyline. I'll try to keep posting regularly, but it won't always be possible. Enjoy!_

Marthus walked into the VMA. It was his fifth day doing classes, and so far he liked it. The principal had said he could enroll in any classes he wished to, as long as he had the time for it. He got some strange looks in the hallway, given that he was a lot older than many of the new students. He had decided to join the military program, simply to have a structured environment for his training. He had also begun the Potions course, given that he was already proficient in elemental and spirit magics, it seemed like the best option.

He had made some new friends, and had been visited by the MODs of the city to discuss his feats of magic. Everyone seemed very interested in it, but he couldn't give them any information beyond what he had already said a million times. It was annoying, but he put up with it. He had recently received a letter from the Lord and Lady inquiring after his health, but he hadn't written a reply yet. School was keeping him busy, and there was no sign of the shadowy man who had attacked him before. Maybe he truly was trapped in the nightmare realm.

"Marthus! C'mon, we're gonna be late!"

He turned and saw his new friend beckoning towards him. Her name was Kiwa, and she was training to be a healer, but she had aptitudes for air magic. They had met during his first day at potions class, when he had arrived late, and she had been the only one not giving him weird looks. She had walked over to him and introduced herself immediately after class. She was the only person he really knew at the school presently, so he saw her a lot.

"Okay, gimme one second, gotta get my textbook out."

"You should have done that ten minutes ago!" Kiwa said.

"I know, I know, you don't have to keep yelling at me though!" Marthus yelled.

"Until you start remembering this stuff, I have to so that I can remind you!" Kiwa shot back.

Kiwa sighed, and began walking towards the classroom. Marthus finally got his bag in order, and followed. He walked in and sat down at his seat. He liked doing potions, it was an alternative way to heal and modify other than by using spirits. He also enjoyed the class because of the more hands-on way to exploring it, mixing ingredients together and imbuing them with magic to get different results. He had created some… interesting things, to say the least of it. After leaving the teacher with a bad temper and much worse hair, he had taken his work down a notch, but he still loved the class.

What about that shadow mage? Why was he interested in Marthus? Marthus wondered why the man hadn't made his next move, it had been quite a while. Maybe it had something to do with Jackson? Or had he gotten mixed up in a larger conspiracy?

"Marthus. Please attempt to be attentive in class. Now, can anyone answer my question?"

"The dust you should use is powdered moonstone." said Kiwa. " _This is why you need to pay attention!_ " she whispered to Marthus after class.

He had been trying, but his mind had been occupied with thoughts of the shadowy man. He needed to investigate this, and quickly. If it was part of something bigger, he needed to get to the bottom of it soon. He hadn't told the police, this man was obviously too powerful for them to do anything about. Maybe he would tell them to place extra guards up at the Minx Castle. It could easily be the target of an attack. Everyone seemed very relaxed, but there was a ball coming up. It would be perfect for an attack. Many officials would be there. Marthus attempted to clear his mind of the thoughts and move on to his next class.

"Hey! You! Yeah you! You need to clear out of this school." A boy that Marthus hadn't met yet stood a few doors away, with some people next to him. "You're unwanted. You shouldn't be here. We all worked hard to get where we are, but you just got in because of some fancy tricks. We don't want you, and you shouldn't be here." The boy turned and walked away, then turned back and spat at Marthus.

 _Maybe that's why no one is really talking to me. I guess I did sort of cheat the system. I don't know why it's such a big deal though,_ Marthus thought. _Maybe it's just harder to get in than I thought. But I had thought they got in for free… Ugh this is so confusing._

At the end of the day, Marthus decided he would ask Jackson for help finding the shadowy man. He began the walk back to the workshop. When he arrived, the lights were off inside, which was slightly strange. Jackson was usually working at this time of day. He walked inside and quietly tiptoed towards the back room. The first sign that something was wrong was that the door was closed. Jackson never closed the door.

"Come in!" Jackson said.

"Why do you have the door closed?" asked Marthus, walking over to a cabinet by the door and picking up his sword. He walked back to the door, being as quiet as possible. There was almost no vibration in the dust on the floor.

"I just wanted to make sure no one disturbed my… work."

"I'm coming in…"

"Alright, please do."

Marthus whipped open the door, and immediately tossed a small fireball in to illuminate the room. As he had thought, Jackson was gone. No sign of a struggle, it must have been fast. A darker shadow began to disappear, but Marthus dove in at the last minute.

Everything went cold and it was dark. He could hear whispers and screams, but he walked towards the circle of light. Something grabbed his leg, and tripped him. He was pulled back into the shadows, and thrown towards a different circle. Many hands covered his face and head, and he blacked out. The last thing he saw was the man in the helmet standing over him, with a woman behind him. After that was blissful, painless silence.

 _What did you think? I'm working on building up to the Battle of Minx Castle in MOD Days, but it'll be a while. Please review if you like it! More will be coming!_


	7. Chapter 6

_Hooray! Chapter 6! It's been a while, but what will happen to Marthus? Where is he? What will the shadowy man do to him? Read on to find out… (important fact: Raz only fought Marthus with magic, not physically…) Reader discretion is advised: language._

Marthus awoke. He was lying on a cold stone floor, feeling the cobbles pressing into his back. He lay there for a second, gathering his thoughts and memories. He remembered jumping into the shadows, and the voices. But where was he now?

"Hello? Is anyone there? Why do you have me here?" he yelled.

He took inventory of what he had. He had no weapons, nothing that could even be made into a weapon. His normally razor-sharp focus was shot. His head felt fuzzy, and there was no sense of magic whatsoever. He tried to bend the earth to his will, but failed. He stood up, felt light-headed, and toppled over. There were no doors, and only a very small slit in the wall. He presumed that was the ventilation, but there was no way out.

"Let me out! I swear I will find a way out, and when I do, I will not be happy!"

A deep voice chuckled, seeming to come from everywhere. "There isn't a way out. We will bring you when we feel you are necessary. Until then, you are free to do whatever you like in your cell."

"How did you stop my magic?" Marthus asked the unknown, unseen speaker.

"Oh, we have our methods. Be thankful we didn't kill you. Now bother us no more."

Marthus walked over to the wall and stood with his back to it, then slowly collapsed to a sitting position. _Where is Jackson? I hope they haven't hurt him, it was my fault he's in this anyway._ Marthus decided to go through his daily mental exercises to gain some of his focus back. After a few minutes of this, something changed. **Where are you? We can help.** Marthus stood up quickly, almost reaching for his sword, before realizing it was missing.

"Who are you? Where are you? How are you talking to me?" He turned around cautiously, reexamining the corners of the cell.

The voice giggled. **We are mischief makers. The people here do not love us, so we don't love them.** Suddenly, a small white figure appeared. It toddled around for a minute then said: **Sup.** _What is this thing?_ thought Marthus. _I won't refuse it's help if it can get me out, but it seems too easy._ Marthus slowly approached the little white figure, and knelt down in front of it.

"What are you? How can you help me?" he asked the figure.

 **You call us… Sup Guys? I can get you exi- out! That's the word.**

"How long have you been here?"

 **Before the people here now arrived. We know all the little sneakyholes!**

"Well, can you get me out of this cell?"

 **Ummmmm… maybe. It's a little bitty different…**

About ten minutes later, Marthus was annoyed, tired and in the exact same spot he had been in.

"Fuck. Well, this got nowhere. Hold up…"

A shadow had begun to form in the wall. The Sup Guy turned and ran straight into thin air. **We'll help you later! This is bad man!** Marthus got into a fighting stance, but he wasn't very skilled in hand to hand combat. A few seconds later, the shadowy mage was standing in front of him. He made no move to attack, just stood there for a moment.

"The Lady requests your presence. I am instructed to take you to her. I will tell you now, any tricks or funny business and I will kill you on the spot."

The man led Marthus through a shadow and out into a complex series of hallways, passing rooms with prisoners that were screaming for escape. The cells that worried Marthus were the silent ones. It seemed he had special treatment, all the other cells had simple bars on the front, instead of the completely walled off room that Marthus had.

Finally, they reached an open door that led to a courtyard. There were people of all ages, sizes and backgrounds practicing fighting skills. _What is this place? Does the Queen know about it?_ The man led Marthus to a more quiet area with two chairs set up, and some tea on a tray. After all he had been through, the idea that they would serve tea and have a nice chat was hilarious to him. Marthus broke out laughing, almost collapsing. The shadowy man walked over and slapped him across the face. Once. Twice. Three times.

"You are in a lady's presence. Control yourself, or I'll do it for you."

Marthus turned around to face the table again, and suddenly there was a woman there. She sat down at the table, and beckoned for him to join her. He cautiously walked over and sat. The woman sat there for a minute, simply staring at him. Neither wanted to make the first move.

"Raz, you could leave us some privacy. Stay close, but not too close." she said to the mage behind him, Raz, he now realized. "My name is Reina, but you can address me as The Lady. You are Marthus, or so I've been told."

"Yes, what of it?" he replied cautiously. He had just noticed a very large, very vicious looking wolf sitting next to Reina's chair.

"Well, it's always good to know a prisoner's name. At least, that's my policy. I know you wonder why I brought you here. Have you ever heard of the Barr Rebellion?"

"Yes. Are you against or for the Queen?" Marthus asked, cutting straight to the point he guessed she was about to make.

"Don't mention that _bitch_. She stole what was to be mine. I would never help her in any way." She seemed to gather her emotions. "Yes, I am against the Queen. I brought you here to hear my side of the story. You would prove a valuable asset if you joined our side. Now, will you hear my tale?"

Her tone invited no argument, and Marthus settled in for the classic 'stolen birthright' story. She got so lost in it, he didn't think she noticed he wasn't listening.

He kept one ear open, listening for anything important, but it was mainly backstory that he wasn't worried about now. This was a skill he had perfected in long afternoons with the Mountain Sage. After a while, Reina seemed like she was done with her past, and he began paying attention again.

"So you're probably wondering why you and Mr Luther were brought here, correct?"

"I'd definitely love to know, I mean what with kidnapping me and everything, you could have at least sent me a card in my cell."

"Being a smart-ass won't get you anywhere. Some people learn the hard way." Raz spoke up from behind Marthus.

"Yes, I would like to know why I'm here."

"You have no special love for the Queen. We can offer you many things, including training in shadow magic if you have the aptitude for it, which I suspect you do. Money isn't really an issue, and you'll be working with Jackson. He's already accepted our offer."

Marthus felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He vaguely remembered saying no, and Raz dragging him back to his escape-less cell, but the only thing that was clear was Jackson's betrayal. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep that night was the group of small white figures that gathered at his feet and formed a circle around him. A faint glow emanated from all of them, and he fell into blackness.

 _This chapter is dedicated to my uncle, who passed away this past week. Thanks for reading this, and being patient while I finished the chapter. I'll continue to update, but it'll probably be like this one in terms of time between, unless I catch a break in the homework. Please review if you liked it!_


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7! You may be wondering where this is going, but it'll all come together soon, with the Mod Days storyline and all. Meanwhile, please enjoy this chapter!_

Clouds shaped like faces. Kiwa, Jackson, his parents… They all began to dissolve. He had a feeling that this was wrong, but he felt detached, like he was watching himself and had no emotions. The clouds blackened, and formed new faces. Reina, Raz, Sup guys, and a man he had never seen before. Lightning flashed, and the clouds fused together, and figures fought in it. There was a woman with a crown, presumably the Queen, fighting against hordes of faceless enemies, with the Mods behind her. In the background, a talisman glowed, and then was taken by Raz. The wolf came out of nowhere, and lunged at him, and he woke.

The Sage had taught him some meanings of dreams, and he had a feeing that the events in this one would come, but he didn't know when. He rose to his feet, and started his daily exercises. The numbers didn't really matter anymore, he just did them to escape the boredom. Nothing had happened in the past week since Reina had told him about Jackson's betrayal. The Sups hadn't returned, and he had no idea what they had done to him that night.

A few minutes after finishing his physical exercises, a shadow formed in the corner of the room, and a plate with food on it came through. This was how his meals were delivered, he hadn't seen another person or creature since the conversation. His dreams were always nightmares now. He hadn't tried using magic in days, he figured it was pointless. There was nothing to do, and it was driving him insane.

A voice spoke to him a few minutes later, after he had finished eating. "You are wanted outside. Make no attempt to escape, it will fail. Go through the shadow and wait for more instructions."

"Who are you?" asked Marthus.

"You may address me as the Knight, now do what I say."

Marthus stepped into the shadow, grabbing the tray with the dirty dishes on it, and walked to the circle of light that was visible. The screams didn't unnerve him anymore, he heard whispers of them from the shadow at night when he tried to sleep. He hadn't seen the Knight, and wondered who he was. After stepping out of the shadows, the first thing he saw was the man he presumed to be the Knight. He looked like he was hewn straight out of granite, with heavy armor, but no weapon that Marthus could see. _He's probably some kind of mage if he doesn't carry a weapon. I'd guess earth. He must be very confident in his powers if he's bringing me alone._

"You are to come with me to the training grounds. I will not answer any questions you ask, so save your breath. You'll need it." He chuckled and walked away, expecting Marthus to follow.

Marthus stood still for a moment, pondering his meaning, and suddenly was hit very hard in the back of the knees, knocking him to the floor. "You are to follow me closely, with no hesitation." the Knight said, without turning around. Marthus looked down to see that he had been hit with a stone block, apparently summoned by the Knight.

Marthus hurried to catch up, and again tried to look into rooms surreptitiously, to gather information for use if he ever got out of this place. Many had closed doors, but a few were open. He glimpsed a broken mirror on a wall in one, and the shadow of a figure inside. For some reason, he shivered, and felt a slight electricity in the air. He walked quickly to catch up with the Knight. Other rooms were closed, some were open, but Marthus didn't glimpse anything interesting.

Finally, they reached the courtyard. All of the fighters he had seen yesterday were already standing rank and file, waiting for him. He didn't see Jackson anywhere. Raz stood off to one side, looking slightly uneasy, and the Knight walked over to join him. Another man walked out of the building behind Marthus. He wore a mask over most of his face, and carried chains wrapped around his wrists. The most noticeable thing about him was his white hair. It looked almost like bone, bleached by the sun. The man walked away, and joined the shadow mage and the Knight.

Reina walked into the courtyard. Suddenly, everyone was somehow standing straighter than before. "Hello everyone. I have gathered you here today to see one of our new potential recruits! He will be training with you today, and I hope you will treat him well." Marthus looked out at the rows of recruits. Many were glaring at him with hostility in their eyes, others pure hatred.

Reina walked off the pitch, beckoning for Raz and the white-haired man to follow her. They did so, and as they did, everyone resumed their activities. Marthus noticed a young boy scurry after Raz, he could tell by the gait that he was presumably going to eavesdrop on the meeting, or else he was some kind of servant.

"Come. We will get you a weapon. Be warned, any kind of rebellion will not be tolerated, and I will kill you where you stand, Reina's orders or not. You will be sparring with Relix today, if I can find him, and if not, you will spar with a candidate of my choosing." The Knight walked away, searching for Relix, whoever he was.

"Hey new kid, we're gonna have some fun with you." A bulky man with muscles that were practically bursting out of his skin had walked up behind Marthus. He grabbed Marthus' shoulders and pushed him down to his knees. _There's not much point in trying to resist, he's too strong. I'll play along for now._

"No! Please don't hurt me!" Marthus yelped as he twisted over to face the man. His nose looked like it had been broken many times, and he had a tattoo of a skull on his forehead.

"Oh we won't hurt you… Much."

Other men began walking over, a few appeared to be friends or cronies of the man standing over him. Some were just there to watch the show. Marthus reached for his magic desperately, and to his surprise, some control came. The man hoisted him to his feet, and raised his hand to punch. As he swung, he felt it brush some kind of resistance in the air, and he missed Marthus completely, staggering off balance. A small tremor in the ground caused him to fall to the floor.

Marthus was exultant. His magic had returned! _I can finally do something about this!_ He had forgotten the other men behind him. One grabbed his arms, and one his legs, and they lifted him up. The first man had stood up, and began pummeling Marthus' midsection. He was winded, and the blows showed no sign of stopping. Suddenly, the man's sleeves were alight. He staggered backwards, yelling in pain.

"Damn you and your magic! We'll put an end to it yet!"

"No, you won't." the Knight said.

A larger tremor moved through the earth, toppling all three men to the ground. _I didn't do that, did I?_ The Knight walked around the fallen bodies, standing in front of Marthus.

"Get up. You will be sparring with me for the next few days. You will be living in the barracks with the other recruits. You will eat with them, train with them, and if they give you any trouble, fight with them. Is this clear?"

"Yes sir." said Marthus

The Knight walked towards the weapon racks in the corner of the field. Marthus was surprised to see his sword there, among many other lethal instruments of efficient death. He saw maces ( one of which the Knight had picked up), shield, small knives, pole arms, a set of chains with blades on the end, and even a needle. He walked over and picked up his sword.

"Then let us begin." The Knight charged.

 _What did you think? This one was a bit quicker to write (I had some long plane and car rides to do it in) but it's setting up for the next one (which will have a Marthus V. Knight fight). Please tell me what you think, and I'll try to keep updating as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 8

_Okay. We've gotten to the bit you've all been waiting for. Epic throwdown, escape, stuff like that. I may not get all of that in here, but I hope you enjoy. Reader discretion: mild/serious gore._

The Knight launched himself at Marthus with superhuman speed. He brought the mace to bear, and swung. Marthus jumped to the side, rolling and barely avoiding the crushing blow that shook the earth under him. His exercising had paid off, he was still flexible and strong, but he wouldn't win the fight by strength alone.

 _He's going to simply crush me where I stand. I have to move, and attack where I can._

Marthus jumped to his feet, just in time to see the mace's head whistling towards him. He jumped, using a small burst of wind to propel himself _over_ the Knight's head, slicing downwards with his sword. The Knight was cut slightly, but not deep enough to really hurt him.

"So, you draw first blood. But who's will be the last to spill?"

The man spun around, swinging towards the ground, completely missing Marthus.

 _What's he doing n-_

 **THOOM!** The ground exploded upwards, throwing Marthus high into the air. He managed to gain control, and landed on his feet, but he had lacerations on his calves from the rough stone.

"Huh. So we're doing _this_ now." On the emphasis of his words, Marthus launched a fireball at the Knight, which was deflected easily by a spike of rock. The rock then shattered into razor sharp pieces, and Marthus was forced to block with a wall of his own.

He charged in, with his sword low at his side. The techniques of the Sage came back to him as his instincts kicked in. Bird rides Updrafts into Eagle Swoop, falling back to Ancient Mountain to block the counterattacks. All the teachings had been framed by things in nature, like the ways that a plant grew, or how a river flowed. It all made sense, and he flowed from technique to technique, improvising along the way. He drew blood again, on the Knight's forearm, but the man hardly noticed.

 _I need to get back. He'll start learning from me soon, and I need to be ready to defend or run. He won't be as fast as I am._

The fight had moved towards the weapon racks, and Marthus took advantage of the wood to strike out with newly formed branches and dissolved blades of weapons to form into razor sharp blades that shot through the air. The Knight simply held up a hand, and a fissure formed, taking the weapon racks and almost Marthus as well, into the unknown depths, along with an unfortunate bystander. As Marthus swung up to the grass of the field-turned-arena, the sharp flanges of the mace caught him on the leg, causing blood to spurt out.

 _I need to get to an area where he can't move as well as I can. He'll simply wait for me to tire, then shake me and deliver a finishing blow._

Marthus looked around, then saw the perfect opening. He ran towards the trees that were visible through the gate to the courtyard, and used some purple spirits to momentarily give him a boost. Along the way, he sliced at the leg of a sentry who tried to stop him, cutting to the bone and causing him to howl in pain. He reached the relative shelter of the branches, only to hear the Knight's booming voice call out after him.

"I can easily flatten this forest, and you with it. Be thankful I am holding back."

 _I thought this was a fight to the death?_

The Knight ran leisurely towards the woods, his mace in both hands. Marthus persuaded the trees to block his path, but the mace made short work of the thin branches.

"Do not hide from me. I thought you were a fighter, not a coward!"

With a roar, Marthus sprang from a nearby tree, focusing all his power into his blade. It glowed with energy, rippled with fire and electricity. With his roar came Vox energy, a shockwave that caused the Knight to stagger. As he fell upon his enemy, another voice rang out.

"That's quite enough. You will make a good fighter, with the proper mindset."

Reina stepped out of the trees, Raz behind her. The Knight went to one knee, despite his various injuries. Marthus was bleeding heavily, and was swaying on his feet, but he refused to bow. Raz walked over to him, took him by the arm and walked into a shadow. They emerged in some kind of medicinal room. The shelves were stocked with herbs and roots, some of which Marthus recognized from Potion class. An old woman hobbled out of some hidden alcove, and began to tend to the wounds. He didn't speak to her, nor her to him, and the healing was spent in silence. She whispered a few things to Raz, and Marthus was returned to his cell.

 _When will they stop this madness? I obviously won't join them, so why do they try? And why did Jackson betray me?_

With his head in turmoil, Marthus sat against the wall, and thought of what was to come.

In a back room, far away, a talisman glowed with power.

 _Woo! Two chapters, one four-day weekend! Did not expect to finish this one, but I had the time. What happened to Jackson? Next chapter will reveal more. I just really wanted to write a Knight V Marthus fight chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 9

_How did everyone like that double feature? Well, this will (hopefully) be lengthier than some of the others, and hopefully it'll progress a bit towards that final battle at Minx Castle (according to Mod Days) Which I am SO EXCITED FOR! *runs around screaming* Anyways, hope you enjoy chapter 9!_

Three days had passed since Marthus' battle with the Knight, and his wounds were healing well, with help from the old healer. He had been continuing to spar, although not without some safeguards to prevent further injury. The Knight had not offered a rematch, nor had he spoken to Marthus since the duel. He was currently in the barracks, waiting for everyone else to wake up and start the day of incredibly difficult training. He smiled to himself, knowing that he wouldn't be in this hellhole much longer. _I can still feel that spark. They couldn't shut me down completely after that fight. I have to see if I can contact the Sup Guys again._ He concentrated, reaching out with his mind for the little presences that seemed so small, but hid a lot from him when he reached out.

 _Are you still out there? I need to escape soon. Something bad is coming._ He spoke with his mind, straining to reach out into the compound.

 **Hi! How are you, person?**

Marthus grinned. Even through a mental connection, he could sense the Sups natural cheerfulness, and it always brought a smile to his face. Even in his home village, where they were a rare sight, they were always greeted with food and drink, usually sweets, so that they would bring good fortune. But that was gone now. The grin disappeared from his face as he remembered what had brought him to Victubia, and what had started this whole mess. His face hardened. _I need to get out of here. I have reason to believe that the person who keeps you all safe and happy is in danger. She'll need me to warn her._

 **Okay! We can gets you out, easypeasy!**

Marthus sat up. The bedsprings squeaked, but he didn't care if anyone heard. He was getting out.

A few minutes later, all the preparations were made. Marthus had packed his few belongings in a small bag. He stood at the base of his bunk bed that he shared with another man. He simply sat on the floor and waited for the chaos to begin. In the top bed of the bunk next to Marthus, a man stirred. He was always the first one up. The man sat up in bed, and began to climb out of the bunk. He looked at Marthus in dazed puzzlement, not knowing why Marthus was already up, and then was laid out on the floor a moment later as Marthus delivered a light electric shock to his temples. Marthus dragged the man up to his own former bed, then drew the covers over the man so as to hide him.

 **Ready person?**

"Definitely."

There was a flash of light, and Marthus stood outside the barracks. They were always locked at night, which was why Marthus needed the Sups. He saw the man that usually unlocked their door walking towards the barracks, which were about 10 yards away now. He moved stealthily, sneaking like a cat towards the sleepy guard. He quickly used a small bit of metal magic to melt the man's sword, and reform it in Marthus' hand. _Oh, this is a bit more fair now._

"Wha-"

"Tell me where the weapons are kept, and I'll let you live. Don't think about doing anything, no one is around to hear you, and you'd be dead before you could anyways."

"U-um, I don't know where the keys are fo-for the weapons, b-but the armory is th-that building over there."

"Thank you."

Marthus clubbed the man over the head with the pommel of the sword, and the body crumpled silently to the floor. Marthus had no intention of getting caught early, so he dragged the body behind the barracks. _Now to find my sword, and get out of here. But wait… Where's Jackson? I should rescue him, even if he is a traitor. No! He deserves to die. But will I ever truly convince myself that's true? Reina wouldn't lie, it wouldn't really serve her purposes. No, I'll find him and bring him back for justice in Victubia._ He crept towards the armory. _I need my weapon first. Then I'll deal with Jackson._ People were beginning to wake now, a few guards were walking around the courtyard, going to get their breakfasts.

The lock on the armory shattered pretty easily, and the glint of weapons shone from inside. Marthus quickly walked inside, closing the heavy wooden door and walking down the aisles of weapons. _Revolvers, tommy guns, crossbows, even explosives! These people have a LOT of weaponry. This looks like a full scale rebellion._

 **The baddie people have been doing this for a very long time… I think.**

 _How long?_

 **Many many many many days, too many for Sups to count.**

 _I'll deal with this too._ Marthus reached up for the familiar shape of his scabbard, and drew the shimmering blade. Nothing had been changed about it, as far as he could tell. He re-sheathed it, the slither of steel cutting the silence of the armory. He held up one hand, and formed a fireball in his hand. He walked out the door, and let it fall to the floor, where it stuck on the wooden boards. The dry wood caught quickly, and gunpowder began exploding as he walked away. Marthus smiled to himself. That was one less problem to deal with.

He quickly ran towards the entrance to the dungeons, only stopping to hide himself from guards who came by, heading towards the burning building behind him. _I probably should have done that last…_ Upon reaching the dungeons, Marthus realized he had no idea where he was going.

"Hey Sup!" He whispered.

 **Yeah person? Do you need some helpy finding your friendy?**

"Um… Yeah. Do you know where he is?"

 **C'mon! I can take you to him!**

The sup popped out of thin air and began toddling inside. He/she/it moved quite fast for such short legs. Marthus could've sworn its feet didn't touch the ground sometimes. After heading through the dungeons for about ten minutes, the Sup Guy finally stopped in front of a door.

 **In here!** Sup said before disappearing.

Marthus raised his hand, and the wood of the door disintegrated into chips on the floor. He'd leave that for the guards to clean up.

"W-who's there? I already told you everything!"

"It's me Jackson. Marthus. I'm bringing you back to the capital." Marthus said, peering into the dark room. In the corner, there was a huddled figure, hunched and gaunt, but unmistakably Jackson.

"No. No. This is a trick. You're dead. They told me. I _saw_ you." Jackson stood up, and looked around like a trapped animal. Terrified, and with nowhere to run.

"I'm very much alive. And you're a traitor. I shouldn't be saving you, but I am. Count yourself lucky." Marthus walked over to Jackson and picked him up. Marthus was surprised at how light he was. "And now, I'm getting us both out of here."

"Wait, wait, I need to get something. It'll only be a minute."

"No, we're leaving now. I'm already risking my neck for you."

"You don't understand. I need it. _We_ need it." Jackson tore himself free of Marthus and began scrabbling at the bricks on the wall. "Where is it where is it WHERE IS IT!?"

Finally a brick came loose, and a glinting object fell to the floor. On closer inspection, it looked like a talisman, with strange gems on it. Marthus touched it, and felt a strange sensation, almost like static on his skin.

"What is this? Jackson, answer me!"

"I don't know, but they wanted it, and I brought it, and then they told me what they were gonna do, and I di-" Marthus cut Jackson off in the middle of his babbling.

"Calm down. Stop babbling, this is important. Start from the beginning, and tell me what this is."

"I don't really know! It's supposed to do something with magic… I dunno, take it away or something. I think it disables a magi's ability to use magic. They're planning to do something with it, use it in an attack or something." Jackson's head drooped.

"We'll talk about this later. We need to get back to the capital. Did they tell you where we are? Never mind, I'll find a way."

"I swear Marthus, I didn't know…" Jackson seemed to pass out. _I can deal with that later._

Marthus slung Jackson's limp body over his shoulder, and walked briskly out of the dungeons, his footsteps echoing through the dimly lit corridors. _If it really takes away magic, this could turn out terribly. Back in the days of the Rebellion, my parents only said we won because of the magical power we had. If this is somehow another uprising, they could win this time._

There were few guards, most of them likely out on the fields helping put out the fire that had spread to the barracks, or else searching the compound for the arsonist. Even so, it was only a matter of time before they noticed Marthus was missing, and then Reina would send either Raz or the Knight after him.

As he walked out a door, two men ran up to him, with a third man leveling a crossbow at his chest. He quickly dropped Jackson and his sword, and raised his hands. They obviously knew how to fight, they were probably some kind of elite guard. One man held his sword at Marthus's throat, while the other searched him. The crossbowman stayed back, keeping his distance.

"He's clear. No other weapons. The Lady wants him back as soon as possible."

Marthus smiled. He was obviously still of some value, or he would have been killed already. He made to pick up Jackson's inert body, and launched two blades of air at the men's knees. The first two fell to the floor, while the crossbowman launched an arrow. It hit Marthus in the left thigh, hobbling him. He quickly picked himself up, and launched himself, using a small burst of air, towards the crossbowman, who was frantically trying to reload. The man ripped a dagger from its sheath, and grazed Marthus' side. _It can't be deep, but it hurts like hell. I'll have to deal with all of these soon, before I get too weak._ The two swordsmen lay groaning on the floor as Marthus snatched his sword, and began limping out of the building with Jackson over his shoulder.

The fire had spread almost out of control, and was raging in many parts of the training compound. Marthus was disappointed to see that many buildings, while appearing to be made of wood, were actually stone inside, making the fire damage easily repairable. _That's one waste of time. I should have headed straight for the dungeons._

He limped towards the exit. No one really tried to stop him, but they had to know that he was gone by now. As he walked, he didn't notice the shadows of the trees stretching towards him.

"You aren't leaving. You've made the Lady very, very unhappy."

Marthus lifted his heavy head. The shadow mage's helmet was right in his face. The man stepped back, and seemed to be waiting.

"I surrender. Seriously. Just take me back, but let Jackson go."

"I have some ideas first, to make sure you don't make any more trouble. No more fancy swordplay, for starters."

Marthus dropped Jackson and began lifting his sword halfheartedly. The helmeted figure raised a hand, and a fist of blackness knocked Marthus to the ground. Raz summoned shadowy chains, and held Marthus fast to the grass. An ebon blade formed out of the shadows nearby, and hovered over his fingers. "Any last things you want to do with this hand?"

"Hit you, but I don't think you'd like that."

"No, you're right. Your friend is trying to do someth-"

A detonation rippled through the area, deafening and powerful. Raz and Marthus were thrown like ragdolls, while trees fell like matchsticks. The two men staggered to their feet. Marthus touched his ear and found it was bleeding. He reached for the green spirits, and found nothing. Raz was obviously having trouble with his magic as well.

"So that's… what the gems do." Jackson stood swaying at the end of a smoking fissure, the talisman upheld. He walked quickly over to Marthus, and kept walking towards the exit. Marthus followed in a daze, staggering past Raz, barely staying on his feet. There was no sound in this world, his eardrums were probably destroyed.

Jackson was talking, but nothing was registering. Marthus felt a presence touch his mind, but he was too exhausted to resist.

 **I will take you where you are required. You are my avatar, and I have a responsibility for you now that you serve me. This next journey is for you alone, but know that I am watching over you. Goodbye, Marthus.**

A flash of light. A blur of colors. A sensation of motion. And light, limitless light.

 _Much longer than I expected! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll start work on the next chapter soon! Also, I apologize if the talisman_ doesn't _work the way I portrayed it, but it will serve for now. If you liked, please leave a review! Until next time._


	11. Chapter 10

_Here we go. Second to last chapter! (not counting epilogue if I write one) This has been really fun to write, and thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this whole process. Thanks for writing Mod Days Raz, given that without it I wouldn't have been inspired to write this fanfic. Now, without further ado, please enjoy Marthus Chapter 10!_

 _The light faded slowly, and with the fading it brought pain. There were aches in parts Marthus didn't even know about. His thigh felt like it was burning where the crossbow quarrel had entered. The rest of his body ached, and he couldn't even muster the strength to open his eyes. Maybe… a little more… sleep._

==O==

He woke again, cracking his eyes open, and was greeted with the sun shining through the branches. _Branches? Where am I?_ He could feel a soft carpet of leaves under him, with dappled light checkering his vision. _When did I get here?_ He sat up, and immediately regretted it. His leg screamed with pain, and he felt like iron spikes were being driven into his ears. _Why can't I hear-oh. My eardrums._ Marthus raised his right hand to his ear, and felt a line of dried blood running down the side of his head. He reached for the green spirits, but there was only a trickle of energy. It took many minutes, but the hearing in his ears was restored.

 _Now to find where I am,_ he thought as he struggled to his feet. He collapsed back to the ground as his thigh burned like acid, and gave out under him. Marthus finally began to notice his surroundings. There were trees all around, and he was lying in a clearing. The leaves he had been lying on had dried blood on them, so he had been here at least a few hours. He could see what looked like a burned-out shack through the trees, so he decided to begin trying to make his way towards it. He broke off a stick from a tree to use as a crutch, and began making his way towards the shack.

Every time his weight rested on his injured leg, agony shot through his body. The shack seemed miles away. Finally, he collapsed, gasping, in front of the doorway. _If… there's no one in there… then all of that will have been for nothing._ Marthus brought himself to his feet, and limped through the doorway. He scanned the room, empty apart from a few pieces of furniture and some broken plates on the floor, swept into a corner. There was dust over all the furniture, but there were bootprints in the dust on the floor, as well as where the plates had been swept up.

As his eyes scanned the room, his gaze alighted on his sword, still in its scabbard, lying on the table. He limped over to it, and belted it around his waist. He felt a little bit less defenseless. _Now to find Jackson… wherever he is_. A crunching sound made him spin around, losing his balance and falling to the floor. His face was defiant, and melted into confusion when he saw it was Jackson.

"Where have you been?" asked Marthus, in a slightly louder voice than he intended.

"Are you kidding? I haven't seen you in a day, since you passed out and I found myself here. What happened?" Jackson looked as confused as Marthus felt.

"Okay, this is obviously getting us nowhere. You start with your side of the story."

"Well, we were escaping. I used the talisman on that shadow mage, and it hit you as well. You walked towards me I think, and there was a huge flash of light. I woke up on the ground here, you were nowhere nearby, and the talisman disappeared out of my hand, just gone. Where were you? I couldn't find you."

"I was laying just over… there." Marthus pointed, and then dropped his finger. There was an impenetrable wall of trees where the clearing had been. "There's obviously something going on here. We need to get back to the Capital, warn the Queen."

Jackson threw up his hands in despair. "We have absolutely no idea where we are, there's a killer shadow mage after you, and the one thing that would have possibly helped us has literally vanished into thin air. It even left a puff of smoke!"

"What did you do to Raz and I? I couldn't, still can't, wield magic after that blast."

"Is that his name? Sorry, he didn't talk to me while he was torturing me. I don't know, but it's gotta be some kind of magic-negating item if you still can't do anything. Try lifting that pebble." He pointed at a marble-sized rock on the ground.

Marthus felt for the magic, and as he expected, only a trickle of power was there. There seemed to be some kind of wall obscuring the rest, and no matter how much he strained, he couldn't budge it. He decided to focus on the pebble, and it jittered and rose an inch into the air. Marthus was sweating now, and Jackson obviously noticed. "You should stop. I just wanted to know how much you could still do." Marthus ignored him, and continued, raising the small rock another two inches into the air, before letting it clatter down amongst the other pebbles. He fell to his knees, soaked with sweat. _How long will this block last? If it's any longer than a day, we're in trouble._

"We should get moving, try to find a way to some kind of town and go to the Capital from there." Marthus staggered to his feet, and immediately fell back down, seeing spots dance across his vision. Jackson looked at him concernedly. His face swam in and out of focus as Marthus groaned.

"You're in no condition to walk, and I could barely stand when we got here. We have no food, and no horses."

"So… we wait… until I can teleport us."

"I see no better option."

"At least get me some herbs so I can make a poultice for my leg, you'll need…"

Marthus listed off about 10 herbs, and added a few roots as well, telling Jackson what the leaves looked like, and then lying back down as his friend dashed off into the woods to collect the plants. He contemplated what exactly had happened after the escape. He was obviously in one of the many forests across Victubia, but he had absolutely no sense of geography outside of the capital and his home Knota Mountains. They would have to find another person in this wilderness if they were to get anywhere.

When Jackson returned, he was carrying huge armfuls of plants. _Did I really tell him to bring that much? I must be really fevered if I thought that would be the minimum. Come to think of it, he did look at me a bit strangely when I listed it…_

"Marthus… why..." Jackson gasped as he staggered into the clearing, "WHY SO MANY PLANTS!?"

Marthus reddened. "Uhhhhhhh… Sorry about that. I think I _miiight_ have tripled the batch."

"You don't say…" Jackson looked at Marthus reproachfully. "How do you know all these plants anyways? I've never even heard of half of them."

"Ten years on a mountain with an old monk who's lived there for his entire life will teach you some things." _Come to think of it, was he really a monk?_ He still thought of the old man as one, given that he lived in a monastery his whole life, but what kind of monks could teach all eight kinds of elemental magic, swordplay _and_ medicines?

Jackson cut into Marthus' thoughts, voicing what Marthus was thinking out loud. "He taught you a lot of things that I don't think monks should really know. Like all this fancy swordplay, for example. How is a eighty-year old man going to do those exercises and forms? And what about all the magic? Marthus, I'm not sure who that man was, but if he taught you all those things, then he's either in incredible shape with incredible memory, or he's… not human." Jackson trailed off.

"Are you suggesting I spent ten years with an otherworldly being? I think I might have noticed."

"Yes, I am suggesting it, but only as a possibility. No need to get defensive. Let's just get you these herbs, and you can mix up whatever magic potion you need."

As Marthus mashed up the herbs, he thought about what Jackson had said. _He has a point there. My parents sent me to him because he knew the most about magic of anyone on the mountain, but no one knew much else about him. He never really talked to me, or when he did, he was asking all the questions._ After crushing the last few leaves on a nearby stone, he spread the greenish mixture on his leg, and then used his sword to slice off part of his left pant leg, and tied it around the wound. He grimaced as the mixture sank into the wound, but he waited for the burning to stop.

After about thirty minutes of feeling like acid was eating into his leg, the pain started to die away. He tried using a little bit of green spirits along the way, to speed along the process so that he'd at least be able to move that day, and when he tried to stand with his makeshift crutch, he could walk. His leg still burned, but it could at least move it without causing him agony. _Now to see what we can find around here._ "Jackson! I'm ready to go!"

"Give me a minute! I found a stream nearby, although I doubt it's one that's listed on any map, but it's at least a source of water!"

"Well, do you have a canteen?" Marthus yelled.

"Uhhhhhhh...no?"

"I'll go check if there's one in the shack." He limped over to the shack, and searched the dim, grimy kitchen, finding a rusty, battered old canteen. _How old_ is _this place?_ "Hey Jackson! I found the canteen!"

"Great! I'll come get you, and then I'll fill it and we'll head out." Jackson's voice came out of the woods from somewhere to Marthus' left.

"Which way? We have no idea where we're going." Marthus yelled back.

"I just remembered a trick I learned from my dad. We'll be fine."

"Okaaay. I'll just wait here." Marthus' limped back into the clearing in front of the shack, and sat down to wait for Jackson. He didn't have to wait long, Jackson burst back into the clearing, covered with leaves and twigs. He had some water running down his face, so he obviously took a drink from the river. He dashed past Marthus into the shack, and came out a minute later holding a small needle.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but this will get us home. I need you to hold _this_." He handed Marthus a small bar of metal and some wire, the bar not much longer than his thumb. "Now, run a little bit of lightning through it. You know about conductivity already, but do you know about magnets? If I wrap a bit of this around this, and you run a current through this…" He tinkered around for a few seconds. "We can get a magnet! Now I don't know why this works, but if I scrape this needle along our new friend here, it should point north if I place it on water. Let's go!" Jackson ran off towards what was presumably the river. Marthus was left alone in the clearing, holding a bar of metal with some wire wrapped around it.

"Wait what?"

==O==

"I can't believe that worked. When did your dad teach you this? I know you don't know how it works, but you could make a ton of money off of it!" Marthus and Jackson were forging a path through the woods, and Marthus was amazed at Jackson's trick. The sun was hanging low in the sky, and the pair were getting just a little bit tired. Progress had been slow, since Marthus had to use a crutch. They had been talking since the river, and Marthus showed no sign of letting up his questions. "Seriously, how did your dad learn about this? I never knew about a trick like this!"

"He said he learned it from his father, from his father, etcetera etcetera. I'm really not sure who discovered it in the first place, but someone else must have found it as well. It has to do with this big bubble of energy around the world, and whenever you infuse some kind of metal with that special kind of energy, like the needle, it'll point north."

"Well, I never heard of this 'bubble' around the world. I do know that it'll be getting dark soon, we should find a suitable campsite." Marthus began moving a bit quicker, and Jackson had to jog to keep up.

"How are you moving that fa-" Jackson almost tripped over himself as he stopped. He looked through the trees, and saw what had caused Marthus to stop dead. There was a village just through the trees, and it seemed that it was a pretty large one, large enough to be on a map. Large enough to have a coach. Large enough to have a road straight to the capital.

"Okay, I get why you stopped now, but will you give me a bit of warning next time?" Jackson snapped.

Marthus seemed transfixed. "We've got to get there now. Right now."

"Okay, we will, but what's the big deal? It's right there, we can walk. We've been going as fast as we can go for the last two hours, you should slow down, take a rest."

"No, we need to get there now. We can't afford a break. I don't know how I can tell, but there's… something here."

Jackson sensed the urgency in Marthus' voice, and stepped a little closer to his friend. "I can carry you faster than you can walk, if it's any help." Marthus nodded, and Jackson scooped him up, while Marthus held the sword and crutch. Jackson ran down the hill, reaching the street. He looked around, and saw that although the town was quiet, there were still plenty of people. Obviously the 'something', that Marthus had mentioned hadn't come here yet. He hoped it still wouldn't.

"There!" Marthus pointed at a building with a sign out front: The Rusty Plow. Jackson walked over, deposited Marthus on the front porch, and walked in to see about a man about a horse.

==O==

Roughly ten minutes later by Marthus' count, Jackson returned with a plump man, presumably the innkeeper, in tow. The man quickly led them to the back, where he introduced them to the inn's coachman. It turned out that the town was also the post office, the innkeeper explained, and the coachman delivered letters to and from the capital and the other roadside towns.

"Is it a fast horse? We need to get to the capital quickly, business with the Queen."

The innkeeper's face went gray. To his credit, the coachman did not react, but once he saw his boss' expression, he turned his back, muttering.

"You never told me you were Queen's men. Out here, and this ain't me pers'nally, but peoples don't like the Queen so much… Too much Barr supporter blood runnin' in the people here. I'll stand by the Queen meself, but I wouldn't say the same for everyone here. My man is loyal though, he'll get ye to the Queen quick as you please."

"Great, does your man have any weapons in case of attack?" Jackson inquired.

"Oh I've the got old fallback. A lead pipe under the bench, and as a bonus I've got a nasty little crossbow down there with it. We'll be fine, and your friend has his fancy poker there if things get up close and personal."

"Then we should not delay. Let's mount up and get going, we need to get there by the evening."

"That'll be just fine. The Capital's naught but an hour's gallop away."

The coachman helped Marthus into the coach, and they were soon riding hard down the road, bound for the capital. The coachman was silent, except for yelling out when a bumpy patch of road was coming up, which was most of the time. Marthus seemed fixated on a point far ahead of them, and the trip went on in silence, until the howling started.

==O==

The sun had set, and the coach was rumbling steadily through the trees, with the coachman's lantern lighting the way. There were wolves in the woods, Marthus could hear their howls echoing throughout the forest, bringing images of shining fangs and pointed ears. Jackson had dozed off, and Marthus didn't blame him. He had been through a lot, first being kidnapped, then tortured by his worst nightmares, and was then forced to tend to his sick friend. Abruptly, the coach stopped.

"I've gotta clear the road, we've got some dead deer in the middle!" the coachman called out from his front seat.

Jackson stirred, and then opened his eyes. Marthus looked out the window, and saw the coachman walking away from the coach. There _was_ some large carcass in the middle of the road, but as Marthus looked at it, it seemed wrong. When the man shone his lantern on it, the deer's wounds were pure black, no flesh at all.

"Never seen bites like this… Wonder what caused em." The coachman continued towards the corpse, and Marthus pulled his body back inside, waiting for them to start riding again. After about a minute, Marthus realized he hadn't heard from the coachman.

He stood with his back hunched, and one hand on his sword, the other on his crutch. "Marthusss, whass happenin?" Marthus turned and put his finger on his lips. He quietly pushed open the door, to see two green orbs glowing in the dark. He recoiled, then took the oil lamp from inside the coach, and held it up. A black muzzle, wet with blood. Shining fangs, somehow darker than the night around them. Two pointed ears, and burning green flames for eyes.

"Jackson, I want you to listen very carefully. Take this lamp, and DON'T DO IT YET, turn around, and open that door and tell me what you see. Now do it."

"Marthus, there's a wolf, wait no two, no three, out there. They all have green eyes." As Jackson spoke, he slipped a hand under the seat and pulled out the lead pipe the coachman had shown them the location of."

Marthus opened the door wider, and stepped down to the ground, and drew his sword with a slither of steel. As he held the lantern higher, he saw the mutilated body of the coachman, further down the road, throat ripped out. _That explains the lack of screaming._ He was afraid, but the fear was replaced with anger. _That man was a good man. He didn't deserve that kind of death._ Marthus resolved to bury the man when he could, preferably after the wolves were killed. Brutally.

"Jackson, you take that side, and I'll take this one. I'll try and think of a way to get out." He had seen the horse's body, still in it's reins.

The first wolf on Marthus' side was joined by another. They circled him, but he was able to keep up, even with the crutch. The first one got cocky, and lunged. It quickly learned the error of its ways, and limped back to its companion after getting a nasty slash to the leg. He could hear thumps and thuds from the other side of the coach. Marthus smiled grimly. Jackson was certainly holding his own.

Eventually, the wolves got tired of circling, and leaped at him. The first realized where it was jumping, straight at Marthus' sword arm, and lost its head to the whistling steel. The second one became more wary, and Marthus took the opportunity to move around the coach to Jackson's side. One wolf was lying on the ground, but the one Marthus had been battling joined its companions. Two lunged, and the third one threw its head back and howled. As Marthus watched in horror, four more wolves stalked out of the trees. The two who had attacked fell back. They seemed to be waiting for something.

Marthus reached for his magic in desperation, but found the wall still in place. "Hey Jackson?"

"Yeah Marthus?"

"You're a great friend, and even if we don't make it out, I want you to know that you're the only reason I am here now. If it was anyone else, I might not have even come after them."

"Well, that's good to know, but right now we've got seven hungry wolves trying to kill us, so I'll talk later okay?" He held up the lead pipe in a ready stance, and Marthus put his back to Jackson's. The wolves leaped, sensing weakness, and there was a blinding light.

 **No. Not now! His day will come, but it will** _ **NOT**_ **be today.**

A ten-foot tall figure stood in front of Jackson and Marthus, who stared, awestruck. The figure was dressed in gilded armor, with a horned helmet, and a broadsword.

 **Who are you to decide my avatar's fate? You are nothing but dreamstuff, nightmares brought to life. Begone.** With that, the figure swung the blade, slicing through the wolves. Two fled, but the figure raised its sword, and white fire coursed along the length, discharging into the fleeing shadows and obliterating them. **Now go, continue your journey. Your god will send you onwards as his herald. Go, and be healed.** He turned, and held his hand up. The pain in Marthus' leg disappeared, and there was the familiar light, limitless and all-encompassing.

And there was the familiar city streets. The Capital was quiet, but the lights in the Castle twinkled. Marthus looked up at them, and smiled grimly. Tonight would be a long night.

 _Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it took me a while. Keep a lookout for the finale. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who's read this and supported it, and especially to everyone who gave me ideas, especially my friend npods for reminding me about the wolves. See you next chapter!_


	12. Finale

_Again, thank you all for getting me here. This will be the first series I have ever finished, and I would like to thank you all for inspiring and supporting me throughout this. Reader's discretion: gore. Enjoy the finale of Marthus!_

The slight rustle of a breeze. Stones under his feet. The clatter of distant hoofbeats. A dark sky, filled with stars. Small lamps by the side of the street. The smell of smoke, and a faint whiff of horse dung. _The Capital. The plot. Jackson!_ Marthus shook off the haze over his mind, and looked around. They were right in front of Jackson's mechanics shop. The mechanic himself was already at the door, pulling out keys to unlock it. The door swung open with a bit of a creak. It likely hadn't been oiled in a week.

"Jackson! Why are we going in there? We need to get to the castle!"

"Give me a moment, I need to grab some… things."

Marthus gave him a look. "Make it fast, I'm gonna figure out what's happening at the castle tonight. Normally there's more people around."

He strode towards the small bar on the corner, only about half a block away. He was surprised when he entered, almost no one was in there. He walked over to the bartender and asked, "Where is everybody? Is there something happening up at the Castle?"

"Oh yes! Queen Minx, may she live long, is holding the Spring Ball at the Castle! Everyone important has been invited. The Mayor and her MODs are rumored to be there as well." He trailed off to a conspiratorial whisper.

Marthus smiled grimly. He thanked the bartender, and walked back out into the cool night air. He walked back down the block to the machinist's shop, where he found Jackson in the back, unlocking cabinets and pulling out large objects. Marthus took a closer look and realized that Jackson was packing the sword cane he had shown Marthus when they had first met, and two strange revolvers that seemed to have two cartridges overlapping. The barrels were larger than usual as well. He turned around as Marthus walked in.

"I'm almost ready, give me one more minute and we can go. What'd you find out?"

"The Spring Ball is tonight. It's likely that the plot will be carried out tonight, given that most of the important figures in Victubia will be there. We need to get there, fast."

"Okay, let me just get my last thing out, of, here." With each word, Jackson tugged at a long object still stuck in the cabinet. It came free, and Jackson stood holding a long-barreled rifle. It seemed to have a cartridge similar to a revolver's, with room for six shots. It also had a strange firing mechanism, different from other guns Marthus had seen. "This beauty is specially made. My father made it before he… passed. It's a six-shot repeating precision rifle. He meant it as a special weapon for the Queen's Guard, did I tell you he did a lot of projects for illustrious persons?" He looked at Marthus questioningly before continuing, "Anyways, he showed it to me a few months before he died, and I've kept it under lock and key ever since. It's one of a kind, and it's firing mechanism is revolutionary. He taught me how to use it, since I wasn't the strongest kid he gave me something that was point-and-shoot, so to speak. Let's go." He slung it over his shoulder, shoved the revolvers into his belt, strapped a musket pouch on as well, and carried the cane.

"Well, I suppose we've got nothing else to wait for. Hold on to me for a second."

The familiar blue glow of the time-slowing spirit magic surrounded them as Jackson gripped Marthus' arm and they ran up the street towards the castle. Jackson gestured to him as they ran, and Marthus turned towards an almost-frozen horse and buggy that was moving along the street. He jumped on, and the horse unfroze. Jackson cut the reins and they shot up the street, hoofbeats clattering in the silent, blue night.

==O==

They pulled up to the front gate, and Marthus let go of the spirit magic, sweating with the exertion of holding it for as long as he had. Time seemed to jump, and then returned as normal.

"No sign of trouble yet. What do you say we take the shortcut in?" Marthus whispered.

"Fine by me. Just warn me if anything is gonna haaaaaaaapppeeeen!"

The pair shot upwards on a current of wind, that deposited them safely on the battlements above. Marthus' blood felt electrified with the power running through him, a conduit almost overflowing. He had to restrain himself from sprinting away, but he had nothing to fight. He crept along the battlements, scanning for any possible threats. _It's strange, there should be guards up here._ "Jackson, do you find it strange that there aren't any guards around?"

"That's pretty weird. I vote we keep moving into the castle, sweep the corridors for anything suspicious. If we run across anything, we run and find the guards, since they don't seem to be quite on top of the job."

"Sounds like a plan."

Jackson pulled out one of the twelve-shot revolvers and brought up the back end of the pair as Marthus advanced into the main castle. Around them, the shadows shifted.

==O==

They were ten minutes into their exploration, and nothing had shown up. They could hear music and conversation drifting up from the floors below. _We must be right above the hall. I feel like a fool for not finding anything yet, we must be missing something._

"Jackson, should we-"

The shadows jumped. Marthus shifted into a battle-ready stance, and he heard the hammers on Jackson's revolvers click back. A moment later, the shadows seemed to vomit out a group of five men, ragged hair and wild eyes. They looked absolutely insane. This observation was only strengthened when one of them began making a high-pitched keening noise. _Yes, definitely crazy._ The other four charged.

They fell upon Jackson and Marthus like wild animals, hacking and slashing with swords and forcing the pair to fall back. Once Jackson got over the initial surprise, he fired one shot and scored a direct hit on one of the men, nearly blowing off his arm with the larger-than-standard modified bullets. He seemed to fiddle with something for a moment, then calmly began firing rounds into the press of bodies that filled the hallway. After emptying the cartridge, he began to back up, reloading as he went. Marthus had had the good sense to get out of the way when the bullets were flying.

The men didn't seem very coordinated, as they kept getting stuck as they pursued the retreating pair. Some limped from shots taken to the leg, or had dropped their swords because of arm injuries. Marthus didn't have the room to fight effectively in the narrow hall. _This is bad, we need to get to a more open area. I can barely move my sword around in here._ They continued backing up quickly, the crazed bandits following, and reached an intersection. _Now THIS, is more like it._ He held his sword in one hand, and beckoned with the other. The first two men charged, and were cut down as spirals of blood trailed off Marthus' blade. The two bodies fell to the floor, but the second two were already scrambling over. Marthus heard Jackson step forward, and two sharp reports, one from each revolver, cracked through the air, and the two men dropped just behind their comrades. The final man, still keening, charged over his fellows, and sliced at Marthus faster than the eye could follow. He was obviously different, he had a precision to his movements.

"Jackson! Get back!"

Steel clashed and rang as Marthus parried blow after blow after blow. He made a low cut at the man's leg, slicing him across the thigh, but the man didn't even seem to notice. He kept screaming and hacking away, even as Marthus cut him to pieces. The man's arm that wasn't wielding the sword went first, and from there it got worse. Marthus looked away on the last strike, unable to look at the former wreck of a man. _God, what am I facing here?_ He heard retching sounds from behind him, and looked back to see Jackson wiping his mouth.

"W-who are they?"

"They look like bandits. The madness… It's likely the Shadow Mage, Raz's doing. Obviously they're damn near impossible to kill, at least some of them are."

Jackson shuddered. "Let's keep moving, alright?"

==O==

Less than two minutes passed before they heard the sounds of the party below them turns to screams of fear and cries for help. They had stumbled across the bodies of many Royal Guardsmen. Marthus said a quick prayer for their brave souls, and Jackson pulled a tapestry off the wall to cover the bodies. They continued on, running through the empty halls. Once more they encountered three men, who Marthus and Jackson slew without much effort. They ran out to the battlements, where they stood now. The fighting was still going on downstairs, but they carried on, searching tirelessly for the rest of the intruders. They stood on the battlements now, a night breeze ruffling their hair.

"This doesn't make any sense, why wouldn't they send more men? If _I_ wanted to kill some Queens, I'd send some subtle assassin or an all-out attack."

"I have a feeling that they've been hiding right under our noses…" Jackson trailed off as the shadows at the other end of the battlements jumped. The shadow mage, Raz, stepped through momentarily, gave a small nod, then seemed to gesture to people behind him. A flood of wild-eyed men swarmed past Raz, and seemed to focus on the pair at the end of the battlements.

"Ah, crap."

==O==

The crazed men stood for a moment, more and more of them coming out of the shadows. There seemed to be about thirty of them, but their erratic movements and the constant shifting of the shadows behind them made it hard to take an exact count. _Too late to run, they'll simply sweep over us._ Marthus readied his blade and Jackson cocked his pistols, his dark brow furrowed in concentration. The men charged.

The first few seconds were panicked, trying to get free of the tide of bodies that flooded forwards. Marthus heard the repeating crack of Jackson's pistols as he flowed through the crowd, his blade a shimmer of light in the dark evening. He used small bursts of wind to disorient his enemies, and propel himself around the large mass, never staying in one place. The slither of steel against steel rang through the night, mixing with the sounds of the battle within the castle.

The group of bandits had split, some running down the stairs into the small courtyard below, aiming for the stairs behind Jackson and Marthus' position, while the others charged directly forwards. Some hung back, keening wails cutting through the sound of pitched battle.

"Marthus! We need to fall back, we're going to get overwhelmed!"

The distraction of Jackson's voice caused Marthus to slip on the small rivulets of blood that were running over the cobblestones, almost falling off the battlements. A bandit swung his blade wildly, and gashed Marthus across the cheek. It stung, but it didn't seem to be very deep. Marthus recovered, and executed a gliding upward strike that removed the man's head from his shoulders. He turned, blasted into the air with a burst of wind, and controlled some cobbles from the battlements, shifting the ground under his opponents and slowing them down. The men quickly recovered, but it was enough. The men down in the courtyard were nearing the stairs next to the pair.

"Stand aside, Marthus. You do _not_ want to get hit by this."

Marthus turned to see Jackson unslinging the long rifle from his back. He aimed it down the stairs leading up to the battlements, and began firing rounds into the men climbing up. Marthus counted six that went down, bringing another two with them as they fell. They wouldn't be getting up again. He cursed as he glanced back at the bandits already on the battlements. _Blast it! How many of them_ are _there?!_ More had come through the shadows, swelling the men's ranks. He readied his sword for the second round, only to hear a cry of agony from his friend.

One of the crazed men had brought a crossbow, and seemed to have a shred of coordination left to wield it. He had fired it straight into Jackson's stomach, the quarrel going straight through the light jacket Jackson always wore and out the other side.

"No! NO!" Marthus sprinted towards his fallen friend. Jackson was obviously in extreme pain, but he had managed to draw a revolver and was firing into the crowd of men who seemed to be holding back, seeing one of their enemies down. _Goddamnit, I WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!_ He reached for the green spirits, and their familiar glow enveloped his hands. Jackson reached up with a blood-stained hand and pushed Marthus' hand down, smiling feebly.

"It's too late for that. Let me go, Marthus. Let me go. Please, stop this madness, but _let me go…_ " Jackson's hand was trembling, but he raised his arm and pulled something out of his pocket. The head of the sword cane. A grenade. He pressed it into Marthus' grip, and then drew one, final shuddering breath. "Finish what we started." Jackson Luther, machinist, fighter, friend, died looking at the stars.

==O==

Marthus stood, shaking with rage. He slipped the grenade into his pocket. It was a noble gesture, but it would be unnecessary. He reached for the god's power, and found it already there, tainted with the god's rage as well. He was surprised, but only for a moment. The power enveloped him, covering him with that familiar gilded armor, the horned helmet, and his sword gained an edge of pure light. He grew to about eight feet tall, towering over the bandits.

 **You are all nothing, driven mad by the hell you went through,** Marthus spat. **You killed my friend, you will try to kill the Queen and destroy this country. I'm not going to let that happen. Bring it on.** The insane men seemed to be fearful for a moment, then ran straight at him, urged on by the keening cries of their leaders. He cut the first five in half with the first swipe, gore spilling over the stones of the old castle. From there, it was a bloodbath. Swords could not scratch him, nor crossbow bolts touch him. His helmet's four eyes glowed green as he fought his way through dozens of opponents.

Some tried to flee. They were cut down by bolts of lightning and fireballs emanating from Marthus' horned helmet or else crushed by stones from the battlements, as if the castle itself was helping its protector. Some charged. They were slain by the blade of pure light, their bodies burned by its radiance. Pure rage transformed Marthus into a brutal machine, the ancient war god sharing control of his body as they cut down foe after foe.

Finally, only the leaders stood at the back. A few had charged foolishly, and their bodies were strewn over the stones. Marthus had exacted a harsher vengeance on them than their underlings. The final seven stood, staring, as the bloodstained, gilded and shining figure walked towards them. Marthus pushed the god's power down, but kept enough for one last act.

"You killed my friend, who was a good man. You would have killed the Queens if given the chance. Your fellows killed Guardsmen, men who fought and died with honor, and who had families and children here in the Capital. If you were left unchecked, you would have massacred everyone you could. These are your crimes, and unfortunately, I am your judge, jury and executioner. Have fun in hell." Marthus spat the last line at them. One of them charged, and was shoved brutally to the floor with a blast of wind.

With that, Marthus raised his hand. His palm began to glow with a divine radiance, and the seven men were raised into the air by bands of wind. Marthus exhaled. There was a sun in the night sky.

==O==

Witnesses who were watching would later say that there seemed to be a light shining from the castle, as if from heaven, bright as the sun, and that it went dark a moment later, leaving a burning afterimage on their eyes. One woman claimed her old grandfather, confined to his bed for the last sixteen years, stood up and walked to the window, then returned to his bed as if nothing had happened. A blind man was cured, able to see again. A young set of twins reported that they could feel each other's thoughts in that moment. No one agreed on what happened, but it was clear that something incredible had.

==O==

As the ashes blew away on the breeze, Marthus stood, and felt the god withdraw from his mind entirely. He sagged, all the adrenaline from the fight gone now. He glanced behind him, and saw Jackson, eyes closed, a smile on his lips. He seemed almost to be sleeping, but for the wound in his stomach. Marthus walked over, and sat next to his friend's earthly body. _This was my fault. I'm sorry Jackson._ He cried there, for a while, until he needed to move on. He lifted the body, almost too light, and floated down from the battlements. The few people out at the time of night saw him, walking down the street. No one spoke to him. He walked alone, but for the ghosts beside him.

 _Am I a man who dreamed he was a god? Or a god who dreamed he was a man?_

 _End._

 _This has been an incredible journey. I've had so many ups and downs writing this, and I think I've learned a lot along the way. I won't do all the thank-yous now, but you all know who you are. Gods bless you._


	13. Epilogue

_Made for popular demand. Enjoy!_

In the countryside of Victubia, near the Capital, the countryside was quiet. There was a road running through the rolling hills, and the woods around the road were filled with creatures of the wild. Nothing stirred the peace of the woods until a man appeared. He blinked into the world, popping out of nowhere. Marthus had arrived. He carried a shovel over one shoulder, and an object covered in a shroud over the other.

It would have been easier to simply move the earth, but he wanted the effort, the strain. There wasn't much inside him now. This might fill the gap, at least for a while. _What did I do to deserve this?_ He gently laid the shrouded object on the ground, and dug in with the shovel. _First my parents, everyone I knew. Then I made a new start. I…_ He stopped to wipe tears from his eyes. _I had a new life, new friends. It may not have been long, but it was mine._

 **I too, know loss. You are not alone here Marthus.**

The familiar feeling of the god's consciousness pressed into his mind. He was surprised to find the feelings coming from it full of the deepest sorrow he had ever felt. It stretched millenia, a yearning and loss far beyond what he could process. He wept for what seemed like hours, and when the tears ceased, he realized he still had work to do. The shovel cut into the soft turf, and Marthus got back to his task, the god watching from the back of his mind.

==O==

The hole was dug, and Marthus had lowered Jackson's body down into the grave. He did a burial ritual, feeling slightly self-conscious because of the god in the back of his mind. He was surprised yet again when the god spoke.

 **He died a warrior, and as such should be buried with his weapons.**

The brace of pistols and the rifle appeared on Jackson's chest, looking exactly as they had that fateful night. _Thank you._ Marthus inclined his head in prayer that Jackson would go safely to the afterlife. _Hades have mercy, and send you to the heavens where you belong._ He knelt by the grave, and touched Jackson's cold forehead, preparing to do the final rites.

"Thank you Jackson. I won't ever forget you. You died protecting me, and you were a true friend. You helped me with a new beginning to my life when I had nothing, and you deserved better than to become part of that loss." He leaned down, and his lips brushed over Jackson's brow. He sat back, and pulled the shroud over his friend's face. Later, he could have sworn Jackson had smiled just before the gray cloth had covered him for the last time. Marthus stood and grasped the handle of the shovel, but was halted. He looked up in astonishment.

==O==

The god stood before him, resplendent in golden armor. His parents stood by, gazing at him with pure, unchecked love and kindness. **You said it yourself. He deserves better.** The towering figure raised its hand. A shimmering pillar of crystal encased Jackson, and rose higher into the sky, shimmering with reflected light. It's facets glowed with trapped sunlight, and threw shifting beams around the trees around him. Marthus heard the sound of laughter, and looked up to see Jackson looking down at him, standing at the top of the pillar. Marthus' parents flanked him, looking gently at him. Jackson looked healthy, no trace of the horrific wound he had received.

"It's alright. You've done enough. Let it go Marthus, let it go."

Marthus gazed up, tears in his eyes, until the images faded into the light. He turned away and expected to cry, but found something in himself. The hole had been filled. He was whole again. He walked away, drinking in the sights and scents of the forest around him. The god stood behind Marthus, looking after him as the figure disappeared into the bracken.

 **To be whole again. To feel the freedom. They think we are blessed, with our power and our strength. But we are just as alone as they.** The figure turned and disappeared.

Deep in the woods, the sound of laughter carried through the trees, and the crystalline pillar sparkled in the sun.


End file.
